Hello.
Could not find root block device at booting.
It's an old install from 2009. I chrooted and updated all packages (system/world) to today's stage which was probably working.
Now with the newest gentoo i need the newest kernel & booting into the original system.
After compiling any 3*.x kernel there it comes to the "couldn't find root block device' error.
So there must be something with the harddisk controller driver.
Kernel 2.6.29-gentoo-r5 was working. So i used that kernel configuration.

Genkernels mrprober & oldconfig did it fine.
I also tried to make a new kernel configuration. By hand. And with genkernel's automatic.
But i cannot boot the kernel image.

Anybody has got an idea?

I tried these kernels: 3.13.6 / 3.12.7 / 3.11.10 / 3.10.7-r1 /
No one is working.

sounds like a udev problem to me. What's your udev version and type (udev or eudev)? What is your brand or model of disk controller? Is it IDE or SATA? The kernel defaults have changed since 2009. If a recent system rescur disk boots then it's probably a kernel configuration problem.

I'm now updating to udev 212-r1
I thought the udev is coming after the root device is mounted.

edit:
in that configuration file hosted on pastebin i forgot to enable CONFIG_DEVTMPFS=y
but i tried it before with the option and it was the same.
i'm very sorry. of couse i add that, now. but it will not help much, it's another problem.
i'm now running the newest packages updates. takes some time on a celeron 2ghz 2gb ram

Have you backed up your personal files to external media?
it looks like the cd you are using may also be overage. lspci -k should show modules and driver in use as well as component identification. run

Code:

fdisk -l | wgetpaste

from the cd. post the url returned. of particular interest: are device names like /dev/sda or like /dev/hda?
sys-apps/portage: Latest version available: 2.2.8-r1. You have referred to having portage 2.1. Newer packages often require newer portage.

With a good external backup of personal files ( /root and /home), I would attack the kernel problem by:
obtain a System Rescue cd or System Rescue USB boot the sysresccd/usb to the xfce GUI and network connection. In the terminal window, run

yes. i can emerge -avuDN world .. but not ... emerge -avu back to the portage version before. there it comes the error described in the link.
also emerge -avu udev etc. doesn't work.
that error is new until i updated portage today. i have the rescuecd now up. that is a nice cd. i didn't know that.
wait...i'll post your links.

Thats a BIOS setting. Its intended for one time use by Windows XP users so that they can install the AHCI driver.
Go into your BIOS and fix that. Linux is fine with it and IDE mode is often crippled too.

While you have not been updating your system, nothing makes the /dev/hdX nodes any more for old IDE drives.
They are still supported but under the SCSI and SATA menus in the kernel.

Here's a post of mine from 2007 which you will find helpful.
Seven years on, genkernel gets it right now but you will still need to fix any /dev/hd* references you have in /etc/fstab and grub.conf_________________Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Thanks Neddy was looking for the rough guide. Quick Search not producing. Apparently current fdisk, parted, gparted on the sysresccd cannot handle the ich8 ide mode even though the sysresccd can boot it._________________Defund the FCC.

fdisk works. i'm in the chroot now. i do have a system backup which is working. by the way. (you asked)
the backup works.. the system on it not i do need the newer kernels because of before 2.6.39 there the CONFIG_DEVTMPFS=y was not there.

To test, at the grub screen, press 'e' for grubs edit mode. Follow the on screen instructions.
This only changes the copy of grub.conf in RAM. If your box boots, fix grub.conf on disk._________________Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

I have removed this ram0 entry on two kernel lines because of i was testing without.
Here on the forum there were many threads describing that it is possible, that it's booting then.

Hey, the line you called: it's not changing anything.
By the way: Normally there it comes: "Loading modules" "Determining root device.
And there are all initram drivers shown.
On my 2.6.29 it is a big list with drivers scrolling down the screen.

On my 3.x.x Kernels its only switching the drivers.. not doing a list.
It seems like it's "choosing" the right drivers.. But not using any of it.

So there is the "could not find root blockdevice in . " message and no initrd modules list.